1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an ink jet recording device in which an ink cartridge containing ink is mounted in a head holder. The ink is supplied to a recording head provided in the head holder for recording on a suitable recording medium such as paper. In particular, the invention relates to an ink jet recording device which prevents ink that may be leaking at an ink supply port of the ink cartridge from spreading over the container body of the ink cartridge. Further, the ink jet recording device facilitates the mounting and removal of the ink cartridge onto the head holder.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional ink jet recording device, ink is ejected from a plurality of nozzles in a recording head to record characters and images on paper. A head holder is normally mounted on a carriage, which is movable in a recording direction. The head holder has an ink jet mechanism for recording that comprises a recording head located opposite a recording medium and a cylindrical connecting tube section or manifold with an ink supply passage connected to the recording head. Furthermore, the ink cartridge contains the ink supplied to the recording head and has an ink supply port fit in the connecting tube section. The ink cartridge is removably mounted in the ink jet recording device.
A conventional ink jet recording device is shown in FIG. 8. It includes a head holder 128 horizontally mounted on a carriage. An ink cartridge 135 containing recording ink is a horizontally mounted-type cartridge and is mounted approximately horizontally on the head holder 128, in a direction indicated by arrow A.
The head holder 128 comprises a cartridge holding section for holding the ink cartridge 135. A cylindrical connecting tube section 132, which forms an ink supply passage 132A, is mounted on a vertical wall 128C of the head holder 128 facing the ink cartridge 135. The connecting tube section 132 protrudes from the cartridge holding section side and is provided with a recording head 131. A plurality of ejection nozzles, which eject the ink supplied through the ink supply passage 132A, are formed in the recording head 131. Furthermore, the connecting tube section 132 is fit with a cylindrical rubber sealing member 133 on the outside for preventing ink leakage.
A container body 136 of the ink cartridge 135 holds an ink absorbing body 137, which may be made of a porous material, such as a sponge. The absorbing body 137 is impregnated with the recording ink. A round ink supply port 136A is formed in the container body 136. The connecting tube section 132 can be inserted in the ink supply port 136A. When the ink cartridge 135 is mounted in the cartridge holding section, the connecting tube section 132 is inserted in the ink supply port 136A and advances into the ink cartridge 135. The connecting tube section 132 presses the ink absorbing body 137 so as to supply the ink from the ink absorbing body 137 to the recording head 131 via the ink supply passage 132A. Thus, the ink from the recording head 131 can record images. A gap at the ink supply port 136A can be hermetically closed by a sealing member 133 to prevent ink from leaking from the ink supply port 136A.
In a horizontally mounted ink jet recording device, in which the ink cartridge 135 is mounted horizontally in the cartridge holding section of the head holder with the recording head and the connecting tube section 132 disposed as described above, the sealing member 133 prevents ink leakage at the ink supply port 136A. However, when the ink cartridge 135 is mounted to the head holder 128, or if the ink cartridge 135 slightly vibrates or shakes via movement of the carriage during recording, ink is likely to leak out along the connecting tube section 132 and the sealing member 133.
The leaking ink may accumulate in a gap G between the ink cartridge 135 and the head holder 128. The ink can spread, for example by capillary action, between the contact surfaces of the head holder 128 and the ink cartridge 135. The ink that has permeated between the contact surfaces, does not contact air and is hard to dry. Thus, this ink remains in a liquid state in most cases. Therefore, when the ink cartridge 135 is removed, any leaked ink will spread and form a thin film over a bottom surface of the ink cartridge 135. This makes the device unattractive and can smear or dirty an operator's hands.